Chapter 29: The Flower in the Shade and the Three Months of Green Beans

  Early in the morning, Captain Ma started smoking, looking at the sun and residual snow outside the window, thinking that after being a policeman for so long, he was still so unlucky. With Chinese New Year approaching, he was expecting to receive red envelopes filled with money, but instead faced the danger of being fired. Damn it, what's the point of going home? With four wives at home, if they found out he lost his job, they wouldn't let him off easy.

  Missing person notice has been posted, Zhou Huijuan's dormitory has also been searched. Her mother said that a scarf and green cotton jacket and blue cotton shoes with grid pattern are missing, but no one has come to ask about the 5,000 yuan. Is it because the money is too little? Why are people so greedy nowadays.

  Zhou Yaolong's hair has all turned white, and I'm still anxious. The Laba Festival is coming soon, you silly kid, why did you leave home without a word? Even if you're dead, send us a message!

  The director has gone home for the New Year, but he is still at a loss with several unlucky subordinates. It seems that this year is indeed unfavorable. Captain Ma pulled the red rope around his waist, and his eyes were sore from holding back tears, even his mouth was ulcerated from smoking too much.

  Look at those underlings, their heads hung down like withered sunflowers, it's infuriating. A fire burst out, slamming the table, "Get out and find her! Find Zhou Huijuan for me! No matter where you go to find her, if you don't bring her back this month, don't even think about getting paid! You can all go eat shit, you bunch of shit-raised things!"

  Everyone dispersed in an uproar. It's unclear whether they went out to look for something or to avoid this frantic boss.

  Only Niangniangqiang was still sitting there motionless. Captain Ma yelled at him, "Is your leg broken?"

  "I'd better stay here, I'm afraid someone will come and provide a clue later. This place is empty." The queen's tone seemed to be confident.

  The words were indeed correct. Captain Ma hummed twice, put on his hat, took up his pipe and went out, turning back to say, "Be careful, I'm counting on you."

  In the afternoon, as expected, something was delivered. A courier brought a package, and the effeminate police officer slowly opened it, with an unusual glow appearing in his eyes.

  It is a letter and a remittance bill. The handwriting looks elegant and beautiful, with a bit of calligraphy foundation.

  The letter was written like this:

  If you need to find Zhou Huijuan, try the downstream of the river next to her school. If you want to know more, go to any dormitory in the school and try. If you think the information I provided is accurate, put the reward into the account number I provided. Of course, for the sake of the president, I hope the big red seal of your police bureau is not a fake one.

  Upon seeing the last sentence, the effeminate voice let out a very effeminate laugh and muttered to himself, our captain won't be calling us to eat shit in the future.

  The lower reaches of the river have a large pool that is mostly mud and some strange stones. The thin ice has melted, with sunshine, the river water emits a spring atmosphere, and the sound of running water is very pleasant.

  The captain of the horse team led the fishing team, looking very majestic and composed. They were all good swimmers and had agreed that whoever caught the first fish would get 50 dollars.

  "Who's going down first?" The effeminate voice sent chills down people's spines, and the slow tone made some whisper that he was a eunuch reincarnated.

  A muscular fisherman volunteered, "Captain, I'll go. I've been familiar with water since I was a child. Not to mention rivers, I've even gone into the sea. The bracelet my wife lost, I retrieved it from the river water myself. Don't believe me? Ask her!"

  The fisherman's wife proudly smiled on the side, she came to watch the excitement, mainly to see if these fifty big oceans could be taken into her hands, so that many things for the New Year could be added, and no longer had to borrow from the east house and beg from the west house.

  The man took a deep breath, stripped off his clothes, revealing his sturdy chest muscles, and left only a pair of shorts on, with a large patch sewn on the crotch, everyone burst out laughing.

  The fisherman had a hollow reed in his mouth, for the wife's new clothes, for the child's new shoes, to buy more pork and dumplings for the New Year, to buy a sturdy new fishing net next year, for the founding of New China, for the happiness of people all over the world. He took a deep breath and dove down. Everyone held their breath.

  Several bubbles emerged on the surface of the water.